raama's food habits 10

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Post 10

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

We saw two adages - proverbs – pazha mozhigaL –

 

mannan evvazhi makkaL avvazhi, and

 

dhaanaththil sirandhadhu anna dhaanam - in previous post.

 

King dhasaratha did best anna dhaanam to get the best of 4 sons in raama lakshmaNa bharatha and sathrugna. But his son raama did lot of fasting as well as daughter in law seethaa – the reason I was searching.

 

It is usual to treat 'dhaanam' and 'thavam' together. I do not understand really how these two get connected together. Perhaps experts in tamil language of the list can throw light on this. Since we have seen something on that dhaanam – anna dhaanam – now let us see something on that 'thavam' – penance.

 

 

Quote --

 

Chapter 103 of anusaasana parvam

 

 

 

Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast discoursed to us

 

§ On diverse kinds of gift,

 

§ on tranquillity of soul,

 

§ on Truth,

 

§ on compassion,

 

§ on contentment with one's wedded wife, and

 

§ the merits of gift.

It is known to thee, O grandsire, that there is nothing whose puissance is superior to that of penances. It behoveth thee to expound to us what constitutes the highest penances.'

 

Bhishma said, 'I tell thee, O Yudhishthira, that one attains to a region of felicity that corresponds with the kind of penances that one observes. This is what I hold, O son of Kunti, that, there is no penance that is superior to abstention from food!

 

Unquote –

 

Dear readers, hope you understand the power of 'fasting' or sathyaagraha as M.K.Gandhi, father of Indian nation, called it. Perhaps he based his method after realizing the greatness of this penance – the fasting - from bheeshma's words. Since I have not read 'sathya sodhanai' I cannot say wherefrom he picked this idea, but I can say very firmly "can be from the above quote".

 

Now just link this saying of bheeshma [actually krishNa] to raama not eating 'meat and honey' when seethaa is separated from him. That is what hanumaan said to seethaa and she also reacted as amrutham visha sampruktham

 

Was raama doing a penance to get back his wife?

The answer has to be a YES.

 

 

Seethaa was also doing a penance to join her husband soon – for vaalmeeki has said in sundhara kaaNdam seethaa is fasting - upavaasa krusaam -

 

thathO malina samveethaam raakshaseebhi: samaavruthaam|| 5-15-18

upavaasa krusaam dheenaam nisvasantheem puna: puna:|

dhadharsa sukla paksha aadhou chandhra rEkhaam iva amalaam || 5-15-19

 

 

meaning: Thereafter Hanumaan saw Seetha wearing a soiled garment, surrounded by raakshasee women,

emaciated due to fasting, like the pure crescent moon at the beginning of a bright fortnight, looking miserable, sighing again and again.

So is it both were doing 'penance' to join together – by NOT EATING – observing upavaasam. They – both raama and seethaa - simply lived thru the rigors - without explanations –– we have to understand from their living.

 

Oh great. I am not sure whether these are connected with the topic on hand – 'raama's food habits' – relevant or otherwise. Let us continue in next post,

 

 

Dhasan Vasudevan m.g.

-- Vasudevan MG